head to head · open source
n8n vs IronCalc
n8n has 209,375 GitHub stars, 61,361 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped yesterday. IronCalc has 4,246 stars, 217 forks, 256 open issues and last shipped yesterday. n8n leads on adoption by 4,831% (209,375 vs 4,246 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; IronCalc is written in Rust under Apache-2.0. n8n has attracted 29% as many forks as stars, IronCalc 5%. n8n was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| n8n | IronCalc | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 209K | ★ 4.2K |
| License | Custom / other | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 217 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick n8n if
- You weight community size — 209K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick IronCalc if
- You want the IronCalc feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You evaluated both and IronCalc fits your workflow better
About n8n
n8n – The Platform for AI Agents and Workflow Automation Fair code platform to build and deploy AI agents and workflows. Combine a visual canvas with custom code, run it self hosted or in the cloud, and connect to 1500+ integrations. AI automation you can trust with real work, from prototype to production. Key Capabilities AI Native Automation Platform : Build and operationalize AI workflows and multi step agents using your own data, models, and tools Model Flexibility, No Lock In : Connect to OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or open source models and switch providers without changing your architecture From Prototype…
About IronCalc
IronCalc [![MIT licensed][mit badge]][mit url] [![Apache 2.0 licensed][apache badge]][apache url] [![Build Status][actions badge]][actions url] [![Code coverage][codecov badge]][codecov url] [![docs badge]][docs url] [![Discord chat][discord badge]][discord url] [mit badge]: [mit url]: [apache badge]: [apache url]: [codecov badge]: [codecov url]: [actions badge]: [actions url]: [docs url]: [docs badge]: [discord badge]: [discord url]: IronCalc is a new, modern, work in progress spreadsheet engine and set of tools to work with spreadsheets in diverse settings. This repository contains the main engine and the xlsx…
read the full IronCalc overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or IronCalc more popular?
n8n has 209,375 GitHub stars and IronCalc has 4,246. n8n has the larger community by that measure.
Are n8n and IronCalc free?
Both are open source. n8n has no licence declared in this registry, and IronCalc is licensed under Apache-2.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between n8n and IronCalc ?
n8n is written in TypeScript and IronCalc in Rust. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, n8n or IronCalc ?
Choose n8n if you want the larger community (209,375 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose IronCalc if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.